


Nice Things

by Jay_Lee_Leuis



Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-28
Updated: 2018-12-28
Packaged: 2019-09-28 23:18:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17192084
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jay_Lee_Leuis/pseuds/Jay_Lee_Leuis
Summary: An artificial visit to a starship captain's best friend.





	Nice Things

**Author's Note:**

> Another quick prompt fill from forever ago - this one was for Janeway with "This is why we can't have nice things."

The day was perfect -- holodecks were good for that. Crisp air, golden sunlight washing over bright orange-yellow leaves, and just the lightest touch of a sharp wind to remind you that this was fall, and this was Indiana. Kathryn shielded her eyes, squinting at the red-brown blur that was approaching at not-quite warp speeds and felt a knot loosen in her chest.

“Good girl, Mollie! Good catch!” The Irish setter sprinted around Kathryn with a bright green tennis ball gripped triumphantly in her teeth, tail wagging in the sort of excitement achieved only by small children opening presents -- or dogs playing catch.

“Oh, are we chasing? Do we want to keep running around?” Kathryn grinned, crouching in front of the dog with her arms spread, and made a dash toward her. Mollie took off again with Kathryn in hot pursuit.

Mollie was fast, runt of the litter that she was, and captaining a starship was a demanding job, but not particularly _active_. Kathryn collapsed, laughing. “You’re too fast for me, girl. Your old mom’s gotten fat and tired.” Mollie trotted back over and laid down next to her with a huff. “I know, girl.” Kathryn patted Mollie’s back. “I agree completely.”

Mollie flopped over on her back for belly rubs, and Kathryn was happy to oblige. The delta quadrant wasn’t all bad, but there was nothing like sitting on earth -- good, solid ground, farming land, with a dog by your side and the whole horizon open in front of you.

“Mark’s been taking you to the park, I hope.” Kathryn said with a note of mock sternness. He would be. She hardly would have been engaged to a man who wouldn’t spend an afternoon out at the dog park. She wondered what he was doing, and for the first time in a long time it didn’t sting. It had been three years. Mollie would have had her litter, Mark would have found good homes for all of them, and life would be moving on apace. And as for her, well, she still had the holodeck booked for the next hour. 

“Okay.” Kathryn stood up, and picked up the discarded tennis ball. “Let’s go for another round, why don’t we, girl?”

Kathryn had told Mark on their first date she could never love another creature the way she loved Mollie. And she’d never hated another sound the way she hated the chirp of her comm badge at that exact moment.

“My apologies for the interruption, Captain.” And damn, Tuvok actually let himself sound apologetic. “We’re being hailed by an unknown vessel. You’re needed on the bridge.”

“Acknowledged.” Kathryn tapped the comm badge off with a sigh. “Sorry, girl,” she said. “I guess this is why we can’t have nice things.”

She stood up, and gave Mollie a pat on the head. “I’ll be back, girl,” she said, “just as soon as I get a chance.”

Kathryn looked up at the sky, that golden sun, took one more breath of that fall air and said “Computer, end program.” It evaporated in an instant. The grey walls of the holodeck returned, drab and crowded after the park in the program. There was a mundane urgency to it all, one Kathryn had grown accustomed to: the hum of a starship lost in space, and a crew that needed its captain. Kathryn set off for the bridge without a glance behind. Sooner or later, she would be back.


End file.
